Handling and conveying means



March 4 19 24 C. S. SCHROEDER HANDLING AND CONVEYING MEANS Filed June 181925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 4 1924.,

, C. S. SCHROEDER HANDLING AND CONVEYING MEANS Filed June 18. 19 23 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ill/liar. e, R92 1 Uhllhgw a than CHAJBILEB S.SCHROWJER, 0F STAMFORD, COECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE tit T0 FACTURINGCOMPANY, 0E STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT.

' AN 1: convnrmo Innan's.

Application filed June 18, 1928. Serial 1%. 648,081.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, Cnannas S. Scnnonnnn, a citizen of the United-States, and. resident of Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and Stateof Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements inHandling and Conveying Means; and l do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in handling and conveying meansand more particularly for use in cooperation with elevator trucks suchas may be employed in and about factories.

One object of the invention is to provide improved conveying means,including means which shall be operable to facilitate the picking up ofthe load and the clamping of the same to prevent slippin I while theconveyor is running over roug pavement.

A further object is to so construct and arrange the picking-up andclamping mechanisms that they shall be cooperative in such manner thatthe weight of the load shall operate automatically to efiect theclamping of the same, and so that the degree of clamping pressure shallbe directly proportionate to the weight of the load.

A further object is to provide means for handling packages of varyingthickness without requiring adjustment or manualoperation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle of the industrial truck typeand illumrating the application of my improvements thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section, and

Fi re 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-43 of Figure 2.

My im rcvements are intended more especially or use in handling thinsheet metal in bulk, and for moving the raw sheet stock through thevarious operations, and the construction and operation of the saidimprovements will be described in connection with the handling oi? sheetmetal, although it will be understow that the same are also well adaptedfor use in handling and conveying other material or articles.

In the drawings, l have shown an industrial truck 1 which may be of anydesired construction so far as the general structure and controllingmeans are concerned, but which is provided with a rearwardly projectingelevator 2 and the latter may be operated and controlled by any suitablemeans, such for instance as shown and described in application forpatent filed January 18, 1921 by Charles S. Schroeder and designated byeria-l No. 438,084.

To the rear portion of the elevator platform of the truck a plurality ofbrackets 3 (preferably three) are rigidly but referably removablyseoured,such 0' said brackets having a general triangular shape. Theforward end of a lever 4 is pivoted at 3 to the upper portion of eachbracket 3 and projects rearwardly beyond the rear end of the elevatorplatform, each lever 4 havin pivotally connected with its rear end a penant clamping hand or pad 5. In the construction shown in the drawings,each lever 4 comprises two parallel members 43- 4} with the shank of theclamping head or pad 5 pivoted between their free end portions, but thelevers t may be otherwise constructed, if desired.

A plurality of rearwardly extending hori zontally-disposed forks or loadsupporting arms 6 aralocated rearwardly of the elevator platform andeach is provided at its forward end with a vertical extension 7 ,theupper end of which is pivotally connected at 7 with one of the lovers acomparatively short distance from the pivotal connection of said leverwith bracket 3.

A short lever 8 is pivotally connected with each bracket 3, at l gandpro ects forwardly, the free end of said lever being rovided with a cup9 which forms a bearmg for one end of a spring 10. The upper endiof eachspring 10 bears against a disk 11 which is held adjustably on a rod '1?by a nut 13, and said rod is secured to and projects in an inclineddirection from the inclined portion of bracket 3 at a pointapproximately midway hetween ,the ends of the same. Each lever 8 isprovided at its rear end rearwardl of the pivotalsp of said lever, withlateral lugs is who on ill!) gage under the lever 4: near said pivotalsupport.

Each of the rearwardly projecting load supporting arms 6 has a slidinghearing at the bend or corner against a shoe or abutment 15 whichdepends below the rear portion of the elevator platform of the truck.The springs 10 are sufiicient normally to sustain the weight of theseveral load sup porting arms or forks and attached parts.

Normally, the load supporting arms or forks are in close proximity tothe floor and their rear ends may be beveled as at 16 and rounded as at17. I

It is customary to support stacks 18 of sheet metal upon two or tourwooden blocks 19 suitably spaced apart and in the operation of myimprovements, the truck will be so operated as to cause the loadsupporting arms or forks to pass between the spaced blocks and under theload or stack of metal to be handled. in order that the operator,standing on the operators platform of the truck, may have clear visionof the load engaging devices and the load, an opening 20 may be made inthe vertical portion of the elevator and another opening or openings 21may be made in the rear end of the platform portion of the elevator.

When the truck shall have been positioned as indicated in Figure 2, withthe load supporting arms 6 dis osed under the load 18 and the clampingeads or pads 5 located above the load, the operator will cause theelevator to rise and the load to become supported on the arms or forks6. Vl hen the arms or forks 6 contact with the heavy load due to theraising of the elevator plattorm, the force of the s rings 10 will becounteracted by the weig t of the load and the levers'd will be causedto descend until the clamping heads or pads 5 contact with the load andclamp the latter firmly. The load supported on the arms or forks 6, willthen rise with the elevator platform to any desired height within thelimit of maximum travel of the elevator.

lit may be here stated that, due to the leverage of the levers 4., thepressure developed by the clamping heads or pads 5 will in proportion tothe weight of the load times the lever ratio between the pivots 3 and ldivided by the leverage between the pivot 8 and the heads or pads 5 at 5For example, it the load weighs 2500 pounds and the ratio of 3, 'l' to3, 5 is seven to one, the heads or pads 5 will exert a pressure ofounds. This amount of pressure is siriiicient to keep the load fromslipping while in transit.

With my improvements, am able to handle packages of varying thickness,within reasonable limits, without requiring adjustment or manual.operation. lit will also be noted the pressure oi the clamps will pilesthe packages in storage.

be in proportion to the load carried, thus preventing undue strain onlighter or trailer materials and still have a sufficiently firm. gripfor the heavier ones.

it will also be noted that it is possible to carry the load at an anglewith respect to the center line of the machine, thus making it possibleto deposit a package that is narrower than the overall width of themachine square into the corner of a building or a box ear.

Another important service that the machine may perform is to pile andpick from The metal may be stored in packages about a foot high each,the first or lowest bundle being placed on stringers that are thickerthan the forks. The next bundle will be placed on another set ofstringers directly on top of the lowest. Packages will be piled in thisway to a height of approximately four feet. When it is desired to takethe material from storage, the truck platform will be elevated to bringthe forks to such a height as will pass under the highest parcel. Themachine is then run under, the platform elevated, and the materialtransported as desired. it is evident that in order to reliably andquickly gauge the height of the forks, and see that they will clearproperly, it is necessary that the operator be able to see the tips ofthe forks from the driving position. l have made this possible byemploying three fork units, as shown, and allowing a clear visionbetween them. The openings 20 and 21 in the elpvator will facilitatesuch vision by the operator.

Having fully described my invention what it claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An attachment for a wheeled conveyor having elevating means,comprising a pivotally supported load supporting arm, means forconnecting said arm with the elevator or conveyor, load clamping meansover said arm, and means whereby the weight of the load on said arm willoperate automatically to efiect clamping of the load when the elevatoris raised.

2. An attachment for a wheeled conveyor having elevating means,comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to said ele vating means, aload supporting arm, a clamping member, and means cooperable withsupporting arm, clamping means and bracket whereby the weight of theload will automatically operate said clamping means to engage the load 7roportionate to the weight of the latter w en the conveyor elevatingmeans to which said bracket may be attached is raised.

3. An attachment for a wheeled conveyor having elevating means,comprising a bracket adapted tor attachment to smd ele vating means, aclamping lever pivoted till illld llld illil ea ers near one end to saidbracket, a load suporting arm pivotally connected with said ever nearthe pivotal support of the latter, a short lever pivoted to said bracketand enaging under the first-mentioned lever near t e pivotal support ofthe same, and a countea-balancing spring between the free end of saidshort lever and said bracket. 7

d. The combination with a wheeled con-' veyor and an elevator associatedtherewith, of a plurality of spaced brackets secured to the free endportion of the platform of said elevator, a clamping lever pivoted nearone end to each bracket and provided with a load engaging member, aplurality of load supportlng arms, upright members rigid with said armsand having pivotal connection with the clamping levers, and yieldingmeans cooperable with the bracket and clamping levers and operablenormally to sustain the weight of the load supporting arms.

5. The combination with a wheeled conveyorand an elevator associatedtherewith,

of? a plurality of spaced brackets secured to the end of the horizontalportion of said elevator, a clamping lever ivoted near one end to eachbracket, a hea or plad pivoted to the free end portion of eac clampinglever, a plurality of load supporting arms provided with upright memberspivoted to the clampin levers near the pivotal suports of the atter,fixed abutments for said oad-su porting arms, short levers pivoted tosaid rackets and'engaging the clamping levers, and springs between saidshort levers and said brackets.

6. The combination with a truck and an elevator associated therewith,said elevator including an upright portion havin a sight opening and alatform having a sig t opening, of a plura 1ty of spaced bracketssecured to the platform portion of the elevator, clamping levers pivotedto said brackets, load supporting arms having upright members pivoted tosaid clamping levers, and yielding means associated with the bracketsand clamping levers and o erable normally to sustain the weight of t eload supporting arms.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. SCHROEDER.

Witnesses:

Enwoon A. Mnnwm, Srnwanr Poona.

till

